The Commission on Elections warned Sunday that posting of campaign materials in public places outside of the designated common poster areas is strictly prohibited and persons putting them up will be liable together with the candidates and those who caused the posting.

“No lawful election propaganda materials shall be allowed outside the common poster areas except in private properties with the consent of the owner,” Comelec warned.

Among the prohibited areas include streets, bridges, public structures or buildings, trees, electric posts or wires, schools, shrines and main thoroughfares. The official campaign period for national positions starts Monday, February 9.

The Comelec, led by Chairman Jose A.R. Melo, made the warning knowing that once the 90-day campaign period starts, there will be a proliferation of election materials in public places outside of designated poster areas in efforts to give maximum exposure and establish name recall for certain candidates, including party-list groups.

The Comelec said it will be presumed that the candidates featured in campaign materials caused their posting if they do not remove them within three days from notice. The notice shall be issued by the election officer of the city or municipality where the unlawful election propaganda are posted or displayed.

Members of the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies called upon by the election officer or other officials of the Comelec will arrest the violators caught in the act and file appropriate charges against them.

To avert this predicament, Melo said political parties, party-list groups, organizations and/or coalitions, and independent candidates may, upon Comelec authority, through the city or municipal election officer concerned, erect, at their expense, common poster areas wherein they can post, display, or exhibit their election propaganda.

Comelec Regional Director Michael Dioneda of the National Capital Region and Regional Directo Juanito Icaro of Region IV explained that a common poster area refers to a structure temporarily set up by the candidates or political parties for the exclusive purpose of displaying their campaign posters.

The election officer is obliged to allow common poster areas in plazas, markets and barangay centers where the campaign posters can be readily seen or read, Dioneda and Icaro said.